JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a dramatic attempt to change the status quo on religious affairs just a few weeks before elections, the Israeli government voted Sunday to ratify a proposal by Transport Minister Merav Michaeli to transfer authority over local transportation from the ministry to local councils.
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The proposal would de facto allow city mayors to decide on their own initiative to activate public transport on Shabbat. Michaeli’s plan would allow local authorities to be connected to certain transport sectors, enabling them to supervise transport and traffic in their sectors as well as offer tenders and enforce laws.
The transport sectors would include the metropolitan districts of Haifa and Beersheva as well as the central district.
Michaeli hailed the proposal as “a plan which can reduce traffic on roads and which had been delayed for 25 years.”
She added that “I believe in cooperation with local authorities, who have demonstrated support for the plan and I therefore insisted on the model we approved in the cabinet and which will promote metropolitan transport sectors throughout the country.”
Despite Michaeli’s plan it is unclear which cities will advance public transport on Shabbat. Jerusalem will not promote such transport, Tel Aviv will adopt the proposal but Rishon Letzion’s municipality told Ynet that it will “discuss the issue” while Haifa (which already has public transport on Shabbat) refused to comment.
her zayde was the infamous kastner who saved the Satmar Rebbe
This should definitely enhance the lefts numbers